For most businesses, providing exceptional customer service is mostly the responsibility of the call center. But in the post-COVID-19 era, record-high agent yearly turnover of 38%, with over 85% of agents working from home (WFH) and lacking the technology required for the WFH model, has made it difficult for contact centers to deliver excellent customer support.
Following three years of difficulties with employee attrition, absenteeism, and customer service delivery, many executives are adopting outsource call center services to boost productivity. Furthermore, a growing percentage of clients choose to communicate with businesses via self-service channels (such as websites and IVRs), email, social media, video, chatbots, live chat, and agents. Customers also expect a smooth customer experience while utilizing several touchpoints to address the same question or issue.
Call Center Technology: What Is It?
Automated call distribution, computer telephony integration, intelligent callback, call recording, artificial intelligence, customer relationship management, workforce management, interactive voice response, and video are just a few of the many functions that call center technology encompasses. Call center technology is also necessary to reduce operational expenses and agent attrition, enhance staff job satisfaction, and provide better customer service.
These technologies for outsource call center services can assist businesses in revolutionizing the more effective and efficient way they provide customer service. Here are some further details on the four call center technology trends that, in the next few years, you should think about using to enhance customer service, reduce agent turnover, and save operating expenses.
- Reporting and Analytics
The foundation of analytics and reporting is the collection, assessment, and interpretation of agent and customer data to yield new and improved insights for call center performance evaluation. To handle consumer calls, call center analytics and reporting monitor call data and agent performance.
Reports that offer comprehensive insights into key performance indicators (KPIs) including first call resolution, customer satisfaction, cost per call, average handling time, call volume, and hold time may be generated by customizing, automating, and condensing the data collection and analysis process.
- Omni channel Integration
When a customer’s experience (CX) is seamless across all touchpoints to address the same question or issue, it’s referred to as omnichannel. Stated otherwise, a client did not have to start from scratch when they utilized a new touchpoint to address the same question or issue since they could continue where they left off at that touchpoint.
Alternatively, when a consumer utilized a different touchpoint to address the same question or issue, they had to start their engagement over in a non-seamless experience. The multichannel Csat (top box reaction) is 28% when consumers use two or more touchpoints and the CX was not smooth.
Put differently, clients must repeat their prior activities while using a different touchpoint since they have to start their query again from scratch. Therefore, the majority of consumers do not see their experience as seamless when they use two or more touchpoints to address the same question or issue.
- Independent Touch points
Touchpoint and touch channel are terms that are frequently used interchangeably. 93% of consumers anticipate their calls to be addressed on the first interaction, according to CX research, when they utilize a touchpoint. Furthermore, our study data shows that 73% of consumers use CSAT’s top box answer when they use just one touchpoint (such as a contact center, website, IVR, chat, or email) to handle their concerns or issue. On the other hand, Csat decreases by 19% for every extra touchpoint that is utilized to address the same question or issue.
The primary cause of the significantly better CSAT, when a single touchpoint is utilized, is that customers need less effort to resolve their questions or issues than they would when two or more touchpoints are used.
For many years to come, one of the biggest areas for an outsource call center company to improve will be the Csat for customers who use various touchpoints to address the same question or issue. Nonetheless, the omnichannel experience aims to provide clients with the impression that utilizing two or more touchpoints to address the same question or issue is a smooth process.
- Artificial Intelligence
Through automated and customized service, call center artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally change all facets of operations and client relations. AI will assist in lowering operational expenses while satisfying consumer demands for simple interactions.
With the use of artificial intelligence (AI), computers can now detect a variety of human languages, analyze the words that are said, and decide how to reply in a way that maximizes Natural Language Understanding (NLU). When a consumer engages with a business’s touch points—such as its website, social media accounts, and phone lines—conversational AI starts.
AI can also be useful in directing calls to the appropriate agent who can answer the caller’s question or handle their issue via the interactive voice response menu. In order to free up agents to tackle more complicated questions and issues, it may also be used to handle FAQs. If a chatbot is unable to respond to a customer’s inquiry, an agent will be on hand to assist them. Stated differently, conversational AI enhances, not completely replaces, your agents.
Unquestionably, an outsource call center company is putting a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence. This trend has significant effects on both customer satisfaction and corporate performance. Customer success will always be the foundation of creative customer care tactics as contact centers develop.